You've probably put off using a project management tool because you don't know what they are or you haven't had time to figure out how to use one.

Don't worry, when I first heard the PM word my heart sank at the prospect of having to learn how to use yet another tool. I feel your pain, but stick with me. Your PM tool will become your MOST used and valuable business tool, so it's well worth investing a little time in.

In case you don't know, a project management tool/app is a safe, secure space online where you and your clients can keep all files and conversations. Inside your PM tool you can create tasks, to-do lists, deadlines and discussions.

If you've just started freelancing, I'm guessing that using a PM tool hasn't been high on your to do list. You've probably been experimenting with invoicing tools, bookkeeping tools and social media management tools instead, right?

Even though those tools are awesome and you're on the right track, you should have started using a project management tool as soon as you started working with clients.

I'd go as far as saying that a PM tool is the most valuable tool you'll use in your business, and it's never too soon or too late to start using one!

I can think of a million reasons why you should use a project management tool but today I'm going to share just five.

Nesha here! I'm so excited that I finally get to share this blog post with you guys because it's soooooo good! Krista Rae, a strategic Wordpress developer, is here today to show you how to offer web design services when you don't know how to code.

I would have died for a blog post like this when I first started my design business. (Okay, I probably wouldn't have died. But I would have paid a shed load for this kind of information, for sure.)

When I decided I wanted to be a freelance designer, I knew a bit about HTML and CSS, but not enough to start offering web design services. The thought of screwing up someone's website because I couldn't code properly put me off from actually offering web design for a long time. But there are things you can do if you don't know how to code and still want to design websites for a living. Read on to hear Krista's awesome tips!

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Web design is a great complement to a branding or graphic design business. With that combination, you can find the perfect clients and keep them, rather than offering branding and then referring them elsewhere for a website.

Luckily, if web design is something you’re looking to add to your business there are several options for how you can do it, both with and without coding on your end. In this post, we’ll cover 3 of the best options for doing just that, the pros and cons of each option, and the details of the option that will give you the most freedom. Let’s dive in!

I’m guessing that one of the most important parts of your business is getting clients, am I right?

One of the oldest (and most successful!) ways to get clients is through referrals (aka. someone refers a client to you). But how do you get them and who do you get them from?! And how can you generate referrals instead of just waiting around for them?

Referrals have an unreliable reputation. If you’re just waiting around for them, you’re going to find it hard to stay in business my friend. But there are ways you can generate more referrals.

This week, freelance graphic designer Mariah is here to teach you freelancers how to organize your Gmail inbox!

Gmail + Google Apps is what I use to manage my business emails, so I'm always curious to see how others are organizing their inboxes. After all, an organized inbox leads to a more peaceful business!

If you use Gmail for business then pour yourself a drink, open up your inbox and implement these awesome tips. They'll definitely lead to a more productive, less time-consuming inbox!

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I don’t know about you, but for the first six months or so of running my freelance graphic design business, my organizational skills were slim to none. I basically went with the flow, hoping that I would remember everything from day to day.

Long story short – everything got cluttered. My to-do lists were scattered across the house, my brain was in shambles, and let's be real – my Gmail inbox was no exception! It wasn’t until halfway through my first year of freelancing that I decided to get serious about organizing my business. The first place I started? My Gmail inbox.

I was tired of almost forgetting to reply to clients, losing emails with important information in them, as well as just totally spacing projects until the last minute, solely because I didn’t have any organizational steps in place. I knew if I wanted to grow and take on more clients, I needed to get serious about decluttering my business. After a few months of trial and error, I finally have the perfect Gmail inbox organizational system in place to streamline my freelance business!

Below are the strategies I used to organize my Gmail inbox. I wanted to share them with you, so that you too can declutter your freelance business and never miss a client email again!